Petersburg resident Terry Lane Akin on Monday asked county commissioners to make a small triangular-shaped slice of county-owned property on the north edge of Petersburg available for public sale.

That’s because it’s adjacent to the former John Deere building that Akin is in the process of purchasing for a grocery store and restaurant. He wants the county-owned tract, just an acre, for a fuel island as part of his planned business enterprise.

“With 800 windmills (wind turbines) going up in the next few years, we expect at least 200 to 250 vehicles per day once they start construction. Right now the only places to get diesel are Allsup’s which can’t handle big trucks, the co-op gin where have to be a member and the co-op elevator which is only open during the day. If we don’t build something, then we’ll lose those tax dollars to Floydada or Abernathy.”

The property in question, bordered by FM 54 and Avenue A, is adjacent to the County Precinct 2 Barn and now used to store county-owned vehicles and materials. It’s north of the Kountry Kitchen restaurant.

Although commissioners didn’t initially appear receptive to Akin’s proposal, County Judge Bill Coleman accepted Akin’s offer to have the property surveyed when he has the adjacent tract surveyed prior to closing. If commissioners decide to dispose of the small tract, it would have to be offered to the public by auction or sealed bids. A Welcome to Petersburg sign is on the site.

Akin told commissioners that Petersburg is planning to take advantage of the increased economic activity generated by wind energy development in the area. Those plans include the first grocery store in Petersburg in many years. Akin said it will be supplied by Affiliated Food and similar to Idalou’s Thriftway. There’s also plans for a laundromat and RV park with 30 spaces. That’s in addition to a restaurant and fuel station.

“We need to see exactly how much property we own, and decide if it’s even worth going to the expense of a title search if we decide that we don’t need it anymore,” Coleman told Akin. “Get the survey and come back in 30 to 90 days.”

In other action Monday, commissioners:

--Approved the hiring of Lupe Canales as county court bailiff on a part-time basis for up to 20 hours per week. A retired deputy sheriff, Canales has been working the same number of hours as a contract employee.

--Approved a Certificate of Compliance with tax abatement provisions for Golden Spread Electric Cooperative’s Phase 1 and 2 of the Antelope Station. The abatement agreements were effective Oct. 31, 2013. Golden Spread reported that Phase 2 came in well under budget. Originally estimated at $285 million, final cost was $248,666,383.

--Authorized county maintenance supervisor Luis Flores Sr. to repair the fiberglass cow normally located on the north east of the courthouse square. Cost is $475.

--Approved a new $1,000 per month lease for the City/County Health Department facilities. The property has been acquired by Albert and Anna Perez.

--Approved minor revisions to the Renewable Energy Economic Development Grant agreement between the county and General Electric on wind turbine components coming through the BNSF Logistics distribution center.

--Approved a salary increase for corrections officer Chantel Marshall after she became a supervisor at the jail.

--Approved the annual maintenance agreement with Mentalix which provides support for the fingerprint imaging system at the sheriff’s office. Cost is $4,590 annually.

--Ranked Howco of Lubbock as first and SPAG as second in the selection process to administer a possible grant to build a water well for Halfway Water Supply Corp. Carthel Engineering Solutions of Lubbock was selected to handle engineering requirements for the possible project. Daniel B. Stevens and Associates also submitted a proposal.

--Authorized District Clerk Carla Cannon and County Clerk Latrice Kemp to stop collecting filing fees to support a county law library, effective Feb. 1. That should reduce the cost of legal fees by up to $35. Cannon said maintaining a county law library is an option that costs $250 per month. It is rarely used since the same information is available online.

--Approved current accounts payable, including $164,876.24 for Dec. 12-31, and $490,701.47 for Jan. 1-9. Also approve were recurring monthly bills of $18,935.16 and the estimated annual payroll of $8,928,531.